Spark intensifier



Sept. 18, 1928.

I 1,684,496 W. F. LAUTENSCHLAGER SPARK mmnsmma Filed Aug. 1, 1921 5140M; li ht/7 0 faazamlgqel:

manna Patented Sept. is, 1928.

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WILLIAM F. LAUTENSCHLAGER, GE CINCINNATI, OHIO.

SPARK in'rnnsrrinn.

Application filed August 1," 1921. Serial No. 488,942.

My invention relates to spark intensifi-ers adapted for intensifying a high tension electric spark, employed for instance, in internal combustion engines for firing an explosive mixture of gases.

I am aware that spark intensifying devices have heretofore been employed, wherein an air gap is utilized to increase the potential and the heat of the spark. The action of the spark burns away the points, thereby lengthening the gap to such an extent as to make the device a hindrance rather than an advantage. Also these devices have heretofore been 01": such complicated contruction as to entail a high cost of manufacture.

The object of my invention is to provide a spark intensifier of greatly simplified construction, whereby the potential and heatot a high tension electric spark is greatly increased; further, to eli'ect a more rapid and complete combustion of the gases utilized in internal combustion motors, thereby avoiding deposits of carbon and thus producing economy and eiiiciency of operation; turther to provide a spark intensifier capable of being manufactured by a continuous automatic processand therefore o fextremely low cost; further, to maintain a proper length of spark gap; and further, to provide a means whereby new spark points are readily available to replace the points worn away by the spark. Y

My invention consists of a pair of rotatable conducting eyelets, serving as terminals irictionally held in a body of insulating matorial; further, in a plurality of spark points on each of said terminals, any of said spark points on one of said terminals capable of being placed in juxtaposition with any of the spark points on the other of said terminals.

My invention further consists in the parts, construction, combination and arrangement of parts, and in the details of construction, as herein set forth and claimed.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a central'vertical section of an internal combustion engine, having my improved device applied thereto, so much of the engine being shown as is necessary to illustrate my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of my improved device;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the same;

Fig. 4: is a longitudinal vertical section of my improved device taken in a plane corresponding to the line -l4 of Fig. 2 and electrode has a threaded shank 18 having a clamp nut 19 thereon.

A body of insulating material 25 preferably formed of fibrous insulating material has therein holes 26 and 27. An eyelet 28' is rotatably received in the hole 26, and an eyelet 29 is rotatably received in the hole 27. Each of the eyelets comprise rings 30 having circular flanges 81 integrally formed therewith on their bottom sides, and circular flanges 32 integrally formed therewith on their upper sides. The flanges 32 have spring fingers radially eX- tending therefrom. Said eyelet is scored at one end to form slits which when the flange is formed produces said spring lingers. These fingers are preferably curved, as shown at 84;, to form frictional contact with the upper surface of the body of insulating material.

In use, the eyelets 28 and 29 are rotated in the holes 26 andr27 so as to bring one of the spring fingers on one of the eyelets in close juxtaposition with the spring fingers on the other of said eyelets", to form an air gap 85. The pressure exerted on the body 01' insulating material frictionally holds the eyelets in adjusted position. One of the eyelets herein instanced as the eyelet 28, is placed about the threaded shank 18 of the spark plug 12 and clamped in position by the clamp nut 18. The other of theeyelets herein instanced as the eyelet 29, is secured to one end of a high tension lead 36, as by a screw 87 passing through the eyelet and a terminal 38 of the cable and held in place by a nut 39. The

other end of the cable may be connected with suitable ignition devices not here shown because well understood. When these ignition devices are actuated, an electric current of high voltage is caused to flow through the cable and bridge the air gap 35 as well as the spark gap 17 his well known that an electric current has greater diificulty in bridging a gap when surrounded by gas under high compression. This condition is present when internal combustion engines. when the spark points of the spark plug become corroded or covered with carbonized oil, the spark formed by the current is either very thin and weak or is absent entirely.

However, when an additional gap is placed in the circuit under ordinary atmospheric pressure, a spark will be formed in said last named gap. This causes terrific surgings of unusually high potential to be set upin the circuit which effects a bridging of the spark gap in the spark plug, thus hung the gases. This increase in potential is also effective 1n increasing the heat of the spark which causes a more thorough and rapid combustion of the gases, thus increasing the efiiciency' of the engine.

- If after a period of use the spark points become worn or burned away, it is only necessary to turn the eyelets 28 and 29 slightly,

so as to bring the next pair of fingers in juxtaposition. In this manner an entirely new set of points are instantly available to form a new and clean air gap of the proper length. This may be repeated time after time, until all of the spring fingers have been consumed.

' My improved device therefore will. last an indefinite length of time.

My improved device consists of but few. inexpensive parts, which makes for extreme ly low cost of manufacture. For instance, in the manufacture of this device the fibrous insulating material is formed into strips and wound up in rolls. This strip is then fed into an automatic eyeleting machine which punches the holes, and wherein a suitably shaped tool automatically sets the eyelets and simultaneously forms the fingers thereon. In the same machine, an automatic shearing mechanism cuts the strip into such lengths as will contain two eyelets. The strip may also I be of such width as will permit the bodies of insulating material to be cut ofi" crosswise,

the machine being. so devised as to punch two holes and set two eyelets simultaneously. Moreover, the user in reality obtains eight intensifier-s for the original purchase price, when each eyelet is provided with eight fingers, as herein shown. I do not limit myself, however, to this number of fingers, but can employ a greater or less number of fingers without departing in any manner from thespirit of my invention. 7

\Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a spark intensifier, a body of insulating material, a pair of duplicate rotatable and frictionally held eyelets therein and each eyelet being scored, whereby a plurality of uniformly spaced apart and outwardly extending tongues of equal length-are formed on the outer periphery of each of said eyelets,

and each of said eye ts adapted to be manually adjusted for bringing any tongue of one of said eyelets into spaced apart juxtaposition with any tongue of the other of said eyelets to form a spark gap between any tongue of either eyelet with any tongue of the juxtaposed eyelet.

2. In a spark intensifier, a body ofinsulating mater al hZLVID a palr of holes therein, a

rotatable eyelet frictionally held in each of said holes and each of said eyelets being scored at its outer periphery, whereby a plurality of outwardly extending and spaced apart spring tongues of equal length are formed and each of said eyelets adapted to be manually rotated to bring any of said tongues of one of said eyeletsinto juxtaposition with. any'of said tongues of one of said eyelets into juxtaposition with any of said tongues of the other of said eyelets to form a new spark gap insuch a manner as to always maintain a spark gap of a given and uniform width. 7 y

WILLIAM F. LAUTENSCHLAGER. 

